Paper Calls Oregon Race for the Democrat

Posted on Nov 6, 2008

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The Democrats fell short in their quest for 60 U.S. Senate seats, but the race isn’t quite over. After a fierce battle in the politically fascinating state of Oregon, Democratic usurper Jeff Merkley has been projected by The Oregonian to defeat Sen. Gordon Smith. That leaves Minnesota and Georgia.

Sen. Norm Coleman’s razor-thin margin over Al Franken up north triggered an automatic recount, while Georgia’s Saxby Chambliss will probably have to face rival Jim Martin in a runoff.

Update: Smith has conceded.

The Oregonian:

Democrat Jeff Merkley has leapt from Oregon’s statehouse to the U.S. Senate, ousting two-term Republican Gordon Smith after an expensive, high-stakes contest that will help shift the balance of power in Washington.

The Oregonian projects that Merkley will squeak by Smith by the time all votes are counted.

Merkley, a five-term state lawmaker and former Habitat for Humanity director, took advantage of a surge of Democratic support to win the bitterly fought battle with Smith, a Pendleton frozen food magnate who also rose from the Oregon Legislature.

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